MG, owned by the Chinese SAIC Motor, was completely absent from most of Europe for 2019, but MG’s European invasion has now really started. The brand will have four models in its range next year, almost each of which carries a completely different design language. In any case, that is not a problem for MG for the time being.
Until 2019, the United Kingdom was the only European country where the modern MG sold its stuff. In 2019, MG fueled its European expansion drive by launching the ZS EV in the Netherlands. Successfully. Shortly after, the plug-in hybrid EHS Plug-in Hybrid was introduced and soon the Marvel R Electric and the MG5 Electric will be added. Although the ZS EV and EHS are drawn according to the same design language, the other models differ greatly from each other in terms of design. Matt Lei, CEO of MG Motor Europe, tells AutoWeek that he is not looking for an unambiguous design language for the time being.
MG models, each with a different design:
MG as you know it in the Netherlands is of course very different from the fully English MG of the past, but it is also not the same brand as it exists in China. MG is a brand of SAIC Motor, a Chinese colossus that also has Roewe – created from the acquisition of Rover – in its portfolio. The MG5 Electric that comes to the Netherlands next year is a derivative of Roewe’s i5. In turn, MG’s new top model in Europe, the Marvel R Electric, is in fact an SUV from Roewe’s more premium ‘R’ sub-line. The European MGs therefore come from several brands and departments of SAIC Motors and that explains the mutually different design. You would think that the brand is on the hunt for one recognizable design language for the sake of recognisability, but according to MG Motor Europe CEO Matt Lei, that is not the case.
MG 5 Electric
Matt Lei explains to AutoWeek that MG wants to be a brand for everyone in Europe. “We have cars for everyone. Our target groups are very diverse. From conservative to pro tech, each with their own expectations. That’s why we have cars in the compact segment (MG ZS EV) and the MG5 Electric, as well as the much more expressive and luxurious Marvel R Electric,” explains Matt Lei. Are MG’s models always going to be very different in design? But don’t assume that: “In any case, our first generation models don’t all look alike, but we are a brand that is still developing in Europe.”
Not just electric
Matt Lei further indicates that although the European range consists mainly of electric models, there is also a focus on conventional powered models. “Our offering will vary by market. In many European countries, the infrastructure for EVs is already very advanced, but we also need to have a suitable offer for markets where EVs are less advanced,” said Lei. At the time of writing, the EHS Plug-in Hybrid is the only non-fully electric MG in Europe.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl